With last-mile delivery customers are looking for convenience and reliability and providers are looking for ways to cut costs and increase efficiency. Parcel lockers are a growing option in this area with a number of home-grown developments worth watching.

Online retail parcel delivery order volumes in the UK were up 14.8% year-on-year in May, according to the latest data from the IMRG MetaPack UK Delivery Index.

One in four Polish online consumers is planning to increase their expenditures on online shopping. They are also spending more on clothing and accessories and less on mobile devices than they did a year ago. Also, men spend more on electronics, while women spend more on books, CDs and films.

More than three-quarters of online shoppers in Europe are willing to exceed the minimum order thresholds if this means they will get free delivery or collection. But at the same time, 63 percent would likely switch to another retailer if they have a poor experience with delivery or click & collect.

Deutsche Post DHL has reached an agreement to buy UK Mail for approximately 242.7 million pounds, or 281.6 million euros. With the acquisition, DHL will further strengthen its position in the European postal market, while putting more pressure on competitor Royal Mail in the United Kingdom.

Spring, a Dutch company that provides delivery solutions, has announced it now offers ecommerce businesses RFID tracking on goods that are sent internationally. This new solution, called Tag & Trace, gives online retailers who send low value goods around the world the possibility to track at minimal cost.